Dáil debates
Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Brexit Issues
5:15 pm
Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
My question related to a no-deal scenario where the backstop will not apply. The Irish Government either defies the EU or the Good Friday Agreement. There are already structures there which apply to relationships with Britain. The difficulty has been that, in many cases, the British Government, and particularly the Prime Minister, has not tied into those structures.
There was a poll on "Claire Byrne Live" on RTÉ last night that showed 80% of people in the South would vote for a united Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit. That solution would mean no border and we would still be within the EU. There would be positivity around that. The Government needs to speed up preparations for a Border poll which, if successful, would eliminate the Border. The Minister is on the record as saying that is not the way forward but it is a legitimate way to move forward. It is in the Good Friday Agreement. There is potential there to move forward with this poll. Would the Minister accept that in the event of no agreement and a hard border, this is a way to move things forward?
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